Shoe insert

ABSTRACT

An exchangeable and disposable shoe insert contains a commercially available panty liner for inserting into a shoe. The panty liner has a number of layers formed of an at least partially moisture-absorbing material and a side directed toward an inside sole of a shoe. The panty liner has moisture-storing constituents in at least one of the layers and partially or wholly covers over an inside sole of the shoe. A self-adhering coating is disposed on at least a subregion of the side directed toward the inside sole of the shoe. The self-adhering coating is releasable from the shoe without any residues being left behind.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

[0001] The invention relates to a shoe insert, in particular for shoes that are to be worn with bare feet. The shoe insert is formed of an at least partially moisture absorbing material.

[0002] Shoe inserts are known in a large number of variants, for example formed of wool or sheep wool for keeping the feet warm, or in the form of cushioning padded inserts, of foot beds or also of odor preventers with activated carbon.

[0003] The disadvantage with many of the known shoe inserts is, in particular, that they are intended, in principle, for remaining in a shoe for a relatively long period of time, with the result that the foot perspiration of an individual wearing shoes with such shoe inserts is concentrated therein for the duration of use and, if the shoes are used daily, the shoe inserts do not have any time to dry out, with the result that a permanent unhygienic damp milieu is produced in the shoe and the wearing comfort, in particular of such shoes as are worn without socks, is adversely affected to a considerable extent, both objectively and subjectively.

[0004] Also known is a shoe insole, see Published, Non-Prosecuted German Patent Application DE 32 15 526 A1, which is intended for single use, but is adapted to the shape of the shoe sole and is of very complex construction, as is the insole according to German Utility Models DE 18 31 936 U or DE 298 21 474 U1. Another document, German Utility Model DE 299 13 910 U1, deals with the problem of fastening washable foot-bed inserts in a releasable manner. Furthermore, Published, European Patent Application EP 0 693 259 A2 discloses a sole configuration which contains a recess which can be filled with filling material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a shoe insert that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type, which, in particular, is straightforward to secure in a shoe, and remove therefrom again, and is cost-effective and straightforward to obtain.

[0006] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an exchangeable and disposable shoe insert. The shoe insert contains a commercially available panty liner for inserting into a shoe. The panty liner has a number of layers formed of an at least partially moisture-absorbing material and a side directed toward an inside sole of the shoe. The panty liner has moisture-storing constituents in at least one of the layers and partially or wholly covers over an inside sole of the shoe. The panty liner has a self-adhering coating disposed on at least a subregion of the side directed toward the inside sole of the shoe. The self-adhering coating is releasable from the shoe without any residues being left behind.

[0007] Since a commercially available panty liner is used as the shoe insert, it can be changed daily or, if required, even more frequently. This results in a novel, extremely hygienic solution that makes the user feel at ease, both physically and psychologically, when wearing a shoe with the shoe insert. Used shoe inserts that have become damp can easily be exchanged, and the used-up shoe inserts are disposed of as trash.

[0008] For the purpose of fastening on an inside sole of a shoe, the panty liner used as the shoe insert is provided, on its side which is directed toward the shoe, with a fastening measure, which advantageously is formed of a self-adhering adhesive which can be released without any residues being left behind.

[0009] The particularly advantageous panty liner is constructed in a number of layers, moisture-storing constituents being contained at least in one layer, with the result that the sole of the foot, and also the shoe, of an individual who sweats profusely can be kept comfortably dry.

[0010] The size of the inventive shoe insert can be freely selected here in dependence on the commercially available panty liners, and the shoe insert may, for example, only partially or else also wholly cover over the inside sole of the shoe, with the result that each user can make an individual choice or the shoe insert can be adapted optimally to any desired shoe, be it a slipper, an actual shoe or a boot.

[0011] According to a particularly preferred use form, the commercially available panty liner used as the shoe insert is inserted into the shoe and, by the adhesive strips which are present, adhesively bonded at the desired location of an inside sole in a shoe, from which it can also easily be removed again. This makes it possible, in a very straightforward and cost-effective manner, to make available a shoe insert of which the significant hygiene-related advantages are known, since they are hygienically packed, skin-compatible and breathable and also moisture-absorbing. The selection of commercially available panty liners provides for any desired size, be this a very small shoe insert, which is to be disposed in the region of the longitudinal arch of the foot, or else a somewhat larger shoe insert, which is to extend beneath an individual heel or along the entire sole of the foot.

[0012] In the case of an advantageous development of the invention, the shoe insert is configured at least in two parts and has a permanently usable sole with a recess for the exchangeable panty liner, with the result that the latter can be retained between the sole and inside sole of a shoe or between the sole and a further lower sole part. This makes it possible for the handling of the shoe insert to be further improved and simplified since the panty liner can be placed in the shoe, with a high level of repetition accuracy, at the location which is orthopedically correct or is felt to be correct, and the exchange procedure can be accelerated to a considerable extent with optimum results.

[0013] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is further provided, in accordance with the invention, a method of absorbing moisture in a shoe having an inside sole. The method includes obtaining a commercially available panty liner for inserting into the shoe. The panty liner has a self-adhering coating disposed on at least a subregion of a side directed toward the inside sole of the shoe. The self-adhering coating is releasable from the shoe without any residues being left behind. The panty liner is secured in the shoe using the self-adhering coating.

[0014] Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

[0015] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a shoe insert, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

[0016] The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017]FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, plan view of the use of a small panty liner as a shoe insert beneath a longitudinal arch of a foot according to the invention;

[0018]FIG. 2 is a plan view of a use of a medium-sized panty liner as the shoe insert beneath the heel and a middle of the foot; and

[0019]FIG. 3 is a plan view of a multi-part shoe insert with a recess for a panty liner.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to FIGS. 1-2 thereof, there is shown a shoe insert 2, 12 which is a disposable product which can be adhesively bonded in an exchangeable manner to a sole 1 and contains an at least partially moisture-absorbing material, that is to say it contains a commercially available panty liner.

[0021] The shoe insert 2 that is only disposed beneath the longitudinal arch of an individual foot, as is depicted in FIG. 1, is provided by a small sanitary towel or medium-sized panty liner 2, with the result that the heel and ball of the foot can still rest directly on the sole 1 of the shoe.

[0022] Adhesive strips 3, 13 are provided on that side of the panty liner 2, 12, used as the shoe insert 2, 12, which is directed toward the sole 1 and the adhesive strips 3, 13 allow the shoe insert 2, 12 to be secured in a releasable manner on the sole 1.

[0023] As is illustrated in FIG. 2, the shoe insert 12 contains a medium-sized sanitary towel that is secured on the sole 1 of the shoe, by the adhesive strips 13, in the region of the heel, and beneath the middle, of an individual foot.

[0024]FIG. 3, in contrast, illustrates a three-part configuration which contains the panty liner 2, used as the shoe insert 2, disposed in a recess 4 of a sole 11 and/or retained in a clamped manner between the sole 11 and a lower sole part 5. This configuration allows the quick exchange of the panty liner and the quick insertion and removal of the shoe insert 2 from a shoe, just as, by a panty liner 2 being retained over its entire border region, it cannot slip or crumple up as a foot is being inserted into a shoe or even at a later point in time. 

I claim:
 1. An exchangeable and disposable shoe insert, comprising: a commercially available panty liner for inserting into a shoe, said panty liner having a number of layers formed of an at least partially moisture-absorbing material and a side directed toward an inside sole of the shoe, said panty liner having moisture-storing constituents in at least one of said layers and partially or wholly covering over an inside sole of the shoe, said panty liner having a self-adhering coating disposed on at least a subregion of said side directed toward the inside sole of the shoe, said self-adhering coating being releasable from the shoe without any residues being left behind.
 2. The shoe insert according to claim 1, further comprising a permanently usable sole with a recess formed therein for receiving said panty liner and disposed in the shoe, said panty liner retained between said permanently usable sole and the inside sole of the shoe.
 3. The shoe insert according to claim 1, further comprising a permanently usable sole with a recess formed therein for receiving said panty liner and disposed in the shoe, the shoe having a lower sole part, and said panty liner retained between said permanently usable sole and the lower sole part.
 4. A shoe, comprising: a sole insert having a recess formed therein; and a panty liner disposed in said recess for absorbing at least one of odor and moisture.
 5. The shoe according to claim 4, wherein said panty liner has a self-adhering coating disposed on at least a subregion of a side directed toward said recess, said self-adhering coating being releasable from the recess without any residues being left behind.
 6. In combination with a shoe, a moisture-absorbing unit comprising: a commercially available panty liner for inserting into the shoe, said panty liner having a number of layers formed of an at least partially moisture-absorbing material and a side directed toward an inside sole of the shoe, said panty liner having moisture-storing constituents in at least one of said layers and partially or wholly covering over an inside sole of the shoe, said panty liner having a self-adhering coating disposed on at least a subregion of said side directed toward the inside sole of the shoe, said self-adhering coating being releasable from the shoe without any residues being left behind.
 7. The moisture-absorbing unit according to claim 6, further comprising a sole insert having a recess formed therein and disposed in said shoe, said panty liner disposed in said recess.
 8. A method of absorbing moisture in a shoe having an inside sole, which comprises the steps of: obtaining a commercially available panty liner for inserting into the shoe, the panty liner having a number of layers formed of an at least partially moisture-absorbing material and a side directed toward the inside sole of the shoe, the panty liner having moisture-storing constituents in at least one of the layers and partially or wholly covering over the inside sole of the shoe, the panty liner having a self-adhering coating disposed on at least a subregion of the side directed toward the inside sole of the shoe, the self-adhering coating being releasable from the shoe without any residues being left behind; and securing the panty liner in the shoe using the self-adhering coating.
 9. A method of absorbing moisture in a shoe having an inside sole, which comprises the steps of: obtaining a commercially available panty liner for inserting into the shoe, the panty liner having a self-adhering coating disposed on at least a subregion of a side directed toward the inside sole of the shoe, the self-adhering coating being releasable from the shoe without any residues being left behind; and securing the panty liner in the shoe using the self-adhering coating. 